The sister-in-law of popular Korean host Park Soo Hong has been fined for defamation.

On December 11, the Seoul Western District Court fined Park Soo Hong's sister-in-law 12 million KRW (approximately $8,400) for defamation under the Act on Promotion of the Use of Information and Communication Networks and Protection of Information.

She was accused of spreading false information about Park Soo Hong and his wife, Kim Da Ye, via a group chat on social media.

The court found that she falsely claimed to have frequent sightings of a woman, believed to be Park's girlfriend, despite having no direct evidence or witnessing any events at their home. The alleged sightings allegedly occurred in a parking lot. The court found that her actions were unjustifiable, even if she believed her claims to be true.

The judge said, “The defendants likely intended to harm Park Soo Hong’s reputation and create favorable public opinion in their legal disputes. Given Park’s status as a public figure, the defamation had a significant impact on her reputation, and the false information had the potential to spread widely online, compounding the harm.” The court also criticized the sister-in-law for focusing on her family’s situation without providing credible explanations.

Meanwhile, Park Soo Hong's older brother and sister-in-law are undergoing an appeal trial on embezzlement charges under the Aggravated Punishment for Specific Economic Crimes Act.